skoda_fan

Spot on. This thread makes for thought provoking discussion but in the real world life is short. Just buy whatever car tickles your fancy and run it for as long as it continues to do so.

It's a Morris Oxford, the later version of which became the basis for the Hindustan Ambassador. (The Morris Major was an Australian market car and was rather different). Anyway, where on earth do you live, Mr Bunglebus? Spotting any one of those vehicles would make my day. Never see anything vaguely interesting around here.

Well done sir for taking part. I've the greatest admiration for anyone prepared to dice with modern traffic in a valuable and irreplaceable veteran. Yes that junction can be very dodgy, even in a modern car. Also I always think the veterans look very vulnerable at the bottom of the A23 where it widens out towards the junction with the A27. Idiots in modern cars make no allowances. I really hope safety concerns don't put the future of the event in jeopardy.... Anyway, I unexpectedly went to Staplefield to spectate. I was a bit disappointed at the lack of classics* parked round the green. Only a few years ago there was always a full blown informal car show but in recent years this has dwindled to only a few. Wonderful as always though watching the veterans come through. Then on to Madeira drive to see the stragglers arrive....again a real spectacle. An added bonus in Brighton was a duo called Fukushima Dolphin who were busking near the pier and were really fab...I was actually distracted from motor cars for a while! All in all a great day out.

That looks bril. Thanks for posting. Is it a regular event?

This whole thread is the very stuff of Hot Car mag, circa 1973. I used to drool over articles about this sort of stuff when I were a lad and knew no better. Earlier this year I made my first ever visit to the National Kit Car Show at Stoneleigh. My impression was that there is still a thriving kit car scene, but it has moved upmarket with new mechanicals being required in expensive and sophisticated kits. No longer can you nail something together from an old Cortina and a few bits of fibreglass. I see no mention of Banham in this thread. They used to operate out of a small unit in Rochester but somehow produced a bewildering array of kits. The Banham Bat was probably the most bizarre (Google it).

Am recently back from hols near Barcelona and didn't spot anything vaguely noteworthy in the wild. Did attend a car show which yielded old Fiat-style SEATs, old Renaults, and loads of American stuff.

Indeed they did. I owned one such beast for a couple of years a while back but sold it in one of my regular getting real clear-outs. J275 SOC where are you now?

Yay. Welcome back, Dave. Good to see you here again. Though if I may say so The Shed's looking a bit too sporty and, erm, cared for these days. (I had a dream about my old pebblestone Estelle 'TAP' the other night and was most disappointed to come to and realize I sold her years ago). Graham.

They sure are. I bought mine earlier this year having been thinking about it for a while. Now I wouldn't be without one. Mine's well used too, but just a rack gaiter needed at MOT time (which I knew about anyway). Anyway top buying, Mr S-s.

I still reckon you should've kept the Favorit, but then I'm a totally biased idiot. That is looking very shiny now. Top save and top work!

I guess my name alone elevates me to immediate sad bastard status!

PS All the above seems weirdly ironic when you think what Tata owns now.

Years ago I worked for a while for an ex-Skoda dealer, the small old-fashioned kind who were gradually ditched when VW took over. To keep going they had become Tata dealers, meaning the Loadbeta and Safari, ie niche "niche". Both were pretty terrible tbh, bringing new meaning to the word "sluggish" and constantly coming back for rectification work. There was some excitement when it looked like the Tata Indica was going to be added to the sales lists, giving us a (probably minute) slice of the small hatch market. The proprietor was gutted when it went to Rover instead. Since then I agree I've only seen bad things written about them, usually with the word "avoid" somewhere in the prose. Therefore of course terrific purchase.

I used to have one, but like the complete twit I am I sold it. Get one if you can find one.....

Aw I'm glad you are on here and approve. Don't know why, but I did start to worry a bit after starting this thread that maybe I shouldn't have. Anyway keep them coming....yourself, Mr Hubnut, and Mr Furious Driving are all far more entertaining than the dross that's on the box of an evening. I even enjoyed the tour of that lady's house that's stuck in a deliberate timewarp.